Conus coronatus Gmelin, 1791

Franklin, J. Benjamin, Subramanian, K. A., Fernando, S. Antony & Krishnan, K. S., 2009, 2250, Zootaxa 2250, pp. 1-63 : 26

17. Conus coronatus Gmelin, 1791 (Figure 18)

Conus coronatus Gmelin, 1791: 3389 , no. 39 (neotype, BMNH (27.5 x 16.5 mm) ( Kohn 1966); " Australia ").

Cucullus coronalis Röding, 1798: 38 , nos. 478, 479 (refers to the original figure of C. coronatus Gmelin ( Röckel et al. 1995); locality unknown).

Conus parvus Gebauer, 1802: 7 , no. 55 (representation of lectotype, Martini 1773: pl. 63, fig. 704 (30 x 18 mm) ( Kohn 1981); locality unknown).

Conus aristophanes “Duclos ” Sowerby II, 1857: 9, pl. 4, figs. 81, 82 (lectotype, BMNH (35.5 x 23 mm) ( Coomans et al. 1981); "Philippine and Sandwitch Islands").

Conus minimus Linnaeus var. condoriana Crosse & Fisher, 1864: 334 (holotype (21 x 12 mm) acc. Crosse & Fischer ( Röckel et al. 1995); "Poulo-Condor, in the South China Sea, off Saigon").

Material examined: MBMCS 117 , 2 specimens, SL 37 mm; SW 26 mm .

Description. Shell medium sized, moderately solid. Body whorl ventricosely conical, outline slightly convex, wider near the base. Shoulder sub-angulate, weakly tuberculate. Spire of low to moderate height. Aperture wide, outer lip convex.

Ground colour pinkish to violet, with pale bluish spiral bands below shoulder and centre. Spiral bands of variously sized brown and black markings on either side of sub-central band, overlaying the two solid colour bands. Spire similar to body colour. Aperture pale grey, edges tinged dark violet.

Distribution. The occurrence of this species in the east coast was restricted to the islands of the Gulf of Mannar viz. Krusadai Island ([Chennappayya] 1927), Shingle Island ( Satyamurti 1952), Krusadai Island and Mandapam Camp ( Kohn 1978). In the west coast, Kohn (1978) collected specimens from Okha, Gujarat. He also reported museum specimens collected from Tuticorin (at BMNH) and Purnagath, Ratnagiri (at AMNH).

The specimens reported herein were collected from Keelakarai ( Table 6) by diving in 12 m on sand and coral rubble and from the seaweed washed ashore.

Remarks. In concurrence with previous records, the two specimens collected in this study were found off Keelakarai, approximately 50 km west of Krusadai Island and Mandapam Camp, where the species was previously reported. Conus coronatus is a rare species along the TamilNadu Coast. The present and previous reports suggest the distribution of this species is restricted to the Gulf of Mannar.